It Was Snowing
by Monstress
Summary: Tenten never shined,except for Neji.Now she's going to be away from Konoha for months,maybe a year or two:this will depend on her."“Neji,I was wondering if you could keep Hachi -my cat- for the time I'll be away " NejiTen
1. Chapter 1

Of course,I do not own Naruto or any of its charachters.

"speaking"

'thinking'

_***It Was Snowing***_

_Synneth_

Chapter 1

She had always been the weakest and unimporant of her team,probably of the Konoha kunoichis,and maybe of the whole group that took part in the Chuunin exams that year.

Not just that,she had also been on the background of everything,from Ninja Academy to her second Chuunin exam,which she finally passed.

Except for the components of her team,the ones who probably really cared for her the most,people knew she existed,and little much more . By the way,she didn't have a family known of,just her dad,which died on a mission little after her 13th birthday.

This all being until a certain alcholized Hokage received a curious letter from,apparently, an important sranger.

…

It was a dim,gray,foggy midwinter morning . It hadn't snowed in the past week,so it wasn't deadly cold,there was just a light rain that was probably going to turn into snow soon.

Tenten,16, had been deterred from her training,alone,by Neji and Lee that day.

She was focused on perfecting her already perfect aim in a difficult and adverse weather condition,and it was going better than how she had hoped.

To her and Neji was a years old habit training together;they'd met on every day free from missions with the two beautiful (…) Konoha green beasts,in their usual training spot.

But that day no one of her team was there . She had wondered why,since Neji hadn't passed to pick her up as he normally had done for the past 2 years,but shortly after she came to the conclusion that they'd been assigned to a sudden mission and didn't have the time to inform her before leaving;so,when she spotted her two team mates running towards her,she was utterly surprised.

"Where were you,Ten?!" said Lee,looking worried,"Neji's had to search with Byakugan every inch of Konoha when he hadn't found you at your house!" half screamed Lee,followed shortly by a quite moody Neji.

"Lee...calm down,I was just here pract-precisely,why weren't you there this morning?And Gai- sensei?I had thought you were on a mission..."

"Gai's on a mission,and we weren't there because Shizune-san was around in Konoha searching for us and the other Chuunin teams; she's said that Tsunade-sama needed to talk to all of us about something,I don't know what . She's said to get you and Lee as soon as possible" spoke Neji,calmly.

In the past years he'd opened up a lot,expecially with Tenten and,reluctantly,with Lee.

"Oh" she wasn't too happy of the news,she didn't like too much being with the other Chuunins:comparisons were inevitable,and she didn't feel particularly skilled,in everything,she just worked hard to improve.

"It has for sure to be something sooo youthful...!I cannot wait to tell Gai-sensei about this!The power of youth may be in our hearts,my comrades,we've got to do our best!" the hyperactive youth obsessed continued his youth-blathering as they reachd the Hokage Tower . The other 2 poor members of the team looked quite stressed about this,even if the youthful routine had been going on for years now.

'He keeps on raving even without Gai,damn him . The older freak totally messed up with his brain',thought Neji,notoriously intolerant to Gai and Lee's style of life and,especially,their look.

Inside were already Shikamaru,Sakura,Ino,Kiba and Akamaru, and all had grown up in these years,and the relationships betwen them had intensified . Some minutes passed,and the others Chuunins gradually filled in the Hokage's office .

Naruto showed up with his breakfast,omnipresent bowl of ramen,and just as he entered the door Hinata blushed at how he looked cute.

Tsunade was losely throned in her chair,waiting for the last Chuunin,Choji,to arrive;she looked something between content and worried,and at her side,Shizune was holding TomTom the pig (N . B . TomTom or TonTon?Never known . ),smiling quietly every time someone entered the room.

Choji arrived in a hurry,chewing chips,and excused himself for being late;Tsunade dismissed him quickly,and as she started to speak,the group all in line in front of her desk,she closed her eyes.

"Good morning . Yesterday I received a letter from a person that ,maybe, you know by fame,and that's why you're here " ,she said,and the group was listening intently.

" This man,Tai Yukimichi,is an old ninja that retired little after he became a Jonin,in order to pursuit the rest of his life in perfectioning the ancient arts of fighting... I know he lives in a temple,or mansion, on a mountain in Yukikagure and is about...Let me see...80 years old...?...Is this right,Shizune?"

"I think so..."

"That's not the main matter . In the letter he's asked me,very politely I have to say,if he may come here the next week and pick up one of my ninja between the ones aged 15 and 16 as his last pupil . You have to know that he's trained about 10 ninjas,from all countries,during those decades,and that the ones who hasn't gone...like...crazy...from his trainings have been,and some of them still are,excellent Shinobi"

"...Is this fucktard so cruel?!" asked in disbelief Naruto.

"He just pretends the highest discipline and dedication",replied Tsunade coldly.

At this,Lee's eyes started to water up...puppy eyes...literally watering the floor.

"Gai-sensei would be so proud of me if I'd be choosen as Yukimichi-sama's last student!"

Everyone ignored him,but TenTen immediately turned at her left to see Neji's depressed reaction to Lee's outburst . Always funny.

Tsunade kept talking; "So. I think that he'll be here in about 4,5 days,do you all feel motivated enough to take par to the selection?"

Everyone kept silent,meaning that they were,but Hinata asked,evidently troubled "There...there w-will be a se-selection?"

"From what I heard,the selection doesn't consist in a fight or a competition,but he'll just pick who between you he likes the most"

Ino brushed her long blonde ponytail,with a fancy little smile,and immediately Tsunade sighed . "No,Ino,I meant charachterally,not phisically!"

The blonde frowned slightly,while Shizune grinned openly.

Tsunade was eager to finish her speech:"Ok,I take that you're all taking part to the selection . Shizune,pass me that sake,if you don't mind...Thank you ".

Everyone exited the room chatting about who'll be the "lucky" one.

And like this,5 days passed by.

…

Yukimichi arrived.

He could've been all but a ninja,or a powerful fighter.

Tall no more than 150 centimetres,he was probably thin,judging by the almost visible bones of his cheeks and hands;he was all dressed up in a black liscious kimono . He had a crown of snowhite hair and a very long silk beard of he same color . The typical Old-Sage-Of-The-Mountain.

While the Chuunin got together in the village's square,early at morning,with nobody but sellers around,Yukimichi had been talking to Tsunade non stop . She was probably recommanding Sakura or Naruto . The old man listened,but at the same time watched over the line of young ninjas.

…

Yukimichi had thought for months about his choice.

He decided to pick up a girl,because he had always trained only males.

Just a change to end in an dofferent way his days as sensei.

He was curious,too,to see if a girl could make it.

It was snowing lightly now,as he covered all the line-up of Chuunins without saying a word,except for a rough "Don't smoke,it's self killing" to Shikamaru (who remained bewildered),barely examinating some faces,until he reached the girls' part of the line;

he was looking for a ordinary girl,absolutely not with a bloodine,being himself of humble origins,a concrete and determined one,trained in Taijutsu,so he would've had something solid to start with.

Tenten.

And Neji couldn't believe Fate had settled _even this __for_ him.

**____**

**NOW I resolved the missing words problem! The last word before a full stop and the first right after it automatically disappeared O_O Why that? Well NOW I rewrote everything correctly,so excuse me for the previous errors****_ ^^"_**

I think it's very boring,but being my first story,I hope to get better.

Criticism would be good,I think.

And I already excuse myself for the surely present grammar horrors :) Bye.**  
**

…


	2. Chapter 2

I do not own Naruto or any of its charachters.

_***It Was Snowing***_

_Chapter 2_

As Tenten proceeded to prepare her bag,she could not think of how much she was going to miss the 2 green freaks,and most of all the Hyuuga ice-cube.

'To be thruthful',she thought while shoving scrolls,little weapons and comfortable clothing into the bag,'Neji now is a lot more friendly and kind.I wonder why...'.

She knew already she liked him a lot;of course she kept telling herself that it couldn't be love,first they were too young for such a strong feeling,and second, she had always admired him,plus there was their good friendship.'Nah,absolutely not!'.

This skeptical self-discussion was interrupted by a timid "meow?".

Tenten kneeled down to pick up her pet,a beautiful white cat with blue eyes.

"Hachi,sweetie,I was forgetting about you...I'll be away for a while,you know?I got to decide with who it's better for you to stay!"

…

Yukimichi was already at the village gate. He was placidly waiting.

The other Chunins,the Senseis,Tsunade and Shizune had greeted Tenten the night before,and now she was coming towards her new sensei with her cat in her arms,follower by a saddened Lee and a totally inexpressive Neji.

Lee was happy for his team mate,not jealous,also because he thought afterwards that being so much time away from Gai-sensei,Sakura and the others would've been hard.

Neji hadn't slept at all that night:too much thinking,too much self-commiseration,too much depression.

He was terribly anguished at the idea of not seeing his Tenten for _at least _a year.

He was perfectly aware of his strong affection to her,and he had started to panick,during the last months,about how much strongly he often started to think of her bright smile,her simple and beautiful face,and so on,even during solo missions,trainings,and -most scary of all- meetings with the rest of his family.'Ob_viously_,the reason of this all is our friendship...',he kept repeating himself.

But he couldn't explain the physical attraction,prodigy or not. He only acknowledged the fact that hormones existed for _everyone_.

Suddenly Tenten turned backwards,with a shy smile on her lips.

"Neji,I was wondering if you could keep Hachi -my cat- for the time I'll be away. I'd be a lot more serene knowing that she's with you"

Lee had never had a pet: "Can I help!!??"

A terrified glimpse appeared in Tenten's eyes,to disappear as quickly as it came,and she shrugged,"of...course...you can,Lee...".

"What does she like to eat?" asked Neji,carefully taking the cat from Tenten smiling. Of course he would've kept her cat.

Lee was already caressing the poor thing on the head as if he wanted to tear it away;

"She is capable of finding her own food,just leave her out free at morning,she's usually back at lunch time with her own meal".Tenten smiled at the thought of her clockwork cat.

"And anyway,don't worry if you don't see her for a while".

"That's fine,but I'll watch over" "You don't have to..."

"This cat is so youthful,I am gonna train it!" "...Meoow..."

"..." "...Don't worry Tenten,I promise she'll be fine" whispered Neji.

Lee was hyper with _everything,_and a cat isn't a punchingball.

"Awesome,thank you so much..This is very kind of you...Mhh...Both,yes." Still smiling,she hugged them,kissed the pet and recommended to greet Gai-sensei and explain everything to him.

Then,she went by Yukimichi,and they left Konoha.

...

"Neji,can I keep Hachi today?" "Ask this again and I'll rip your stomach out to feed her" "...Meew" "That was gross and unyouthful,Neji,really" "Hn".

____

**_NOW I resolved the missing words problem! The last word before a full stop and the first right after it automatically disappeared O_O Why that? Well NOW I rewrote everything correctly,so excuse me for the previous errors ^^"_**

****Way shorter than the first chapter...

I hope it isn't all too boring.

It's weird how i was sure there weren't too many erorrs when I updates this chapter,but when I published it,well,some words were missing in some points,and no matter how much i edited and corrected this -__- so, I'm sorry for that.I'll see what I can possibly do again.


	3. Chapter 3

I do not own Naruto ar any of its charachters

_***It Was Snowing***_

_Chapter 3_

Tai Yukimichi was undoubtedly a very nice and agreeable old man,and as he and Tenten chatted about this and that (he seemed to like gossiping),she knew what a grandfather could be.

The journey to Yukigakure had been long,but not too tiring:the landscapes they crossed were gradually turning from the forests she used to know into breathtaking white valleys,surrounded by the high peaks of the snow-covered mountains,rich of little crystalized lakes and bright lively streaming torrents.

The skies were often of a silvery gray,and not blue as they used to be within the territories of the Fire Country,but somehow they managed to look incredibly suitable upon the high pine trees,mesmerizing in the magic of the snow and the icicles.

Tenten really didn't know what to expect from this old man and his trainings,but for sure she was decided to do her best.

So,when Yukimichi pointed cheerfully to a particularly high mountain,its top not very visible due to the thick clouds,saying that they had arrived to _his _mountain,she didn't freak out.

…

after what had seemed like billions of steps (narrow and high rungs,excaved into the hard rock),poor Tenten was so happy to be still alive.

Her sensei didn't seem to be affected by them the least.

"Excellent,Tenten,now go to your new room,you'll find it immediately,is the only one that's still empty,

unpack your things, and return here as soon as possible,if you don't mind".

He was smiling as he said so,but she recognized without problems the implicit request of obbedience and discipline.

"Hai,sensei." She jogged into the mansion,an old very traditional temple full of little rooms,each of them decorated with marvelous wall-paintings,and after a quick check she found a little room totally emptied,whose only furnitures were a futon,a little wardrobe,and an even smaller table.A big window occupied the upper wall opposite to the sliding door. Impossible not to notice that a big part of the remaining space on the walls was occupied by shelves;

the visible wall-paintings represented a beautiful oriental winter landscape: she liked it at first sight;she dumped her bag on the table and ran outside.

"Good,Tenten,now,may you describe me your typical training day until now?And also,please,the way you usually fight?That would be important".Now he was a little more serious,not so smiley anymore,and he hadn't mentioned either food,water,rest or shower yet;

but the thought of asking about these things didn't even cross her mind.

She started to speak.

…

Konoha was about to greet the winter for that year.

Everyone couldn't wait to welcome back the sun,except for the most depressed and pissed Hyuuga in the whole Country.

He wasn't enjoying these months,obviously,so his sadistic logic longed for at least a weather that would prevent others' enjoyable times. The very smooth, stoic, sadistic logic of Tenten's sweetheart and cat sitter,Neji.

He had practically returned the 13-year-old Neji about his mood,manners and language (the monosyllabic, eternal "Hn").

…

Gai and Lee were doing their push-ups that day,and Neji,who had already kicked Lee's ass,which thing he had resumed as daily training,was watching over the (now) spoiled Hachi cat.

Suddenly they all heard Shizune's voice calling for them.

"Guess what?" She was happy,smiling sincerely,once she found them staring at her intently.

"OH,YOUTHFUL SHIZUNE-SAN,WHAT A SURPRISE TO SEE YOU THERE!WHICH YOUTHFUL NEWS DO YOU HAVE FOR US?" Gai chirped with his youthful usual tone.

Lee suspected his sensei had a crush on the Hokage's assistant,and Neji couldn't care less about this all,he was gazing firmly at the paper in Shizune's hands.

"There are news from Tenten!Well,not really from her (Neji's hopes fell miserably),but from Yukimichi about her! (Neji's hopes newly rose)" cheered said woman,handing the paper to Gai,who took it immediately.

Since Yukimichi and Tenten left,4 months had passed by.'It was about time for news,that old piece of shit',thought shamelessly Neji,who really never liked the old man. How could he,after all?

Gai started to read for his students:

_Respectable Tsunade-Sama,_

_I'd like to inform you that Tenten is really doing fine._

_Everyday I keep asking myself what kind of,please excuse me,perfect idiot she's had as sensei,_

_because it is hard not to notice her enormous potential._

Gai stopped,blinked,puppy-eyed Lee,and with evident shame continued to read.

_What I want to say is that in four months of serious training with me she probably improved more than in four years of training with her sensei;_

_but,I have to formally credit him regarding to her skill in the use of weaponry,which is really excellent ,in fact we just occasionally work on it._

Gai smiled a little,but was flabbergasted by the cynicism of what came next:

_To be thruthful,I judge her innatural skill in weaponry as a natural gift,so I don't really think her sensei ever had to teach her much about it._

Gai's self reputation was hurt.

_Speaking about what we're doing:_

_we're working on Taijutsu in his finest and highest forms._

_I'm teaching her some more Ninjutsu than the few she already knew _(Gai winced) _and even that little of Genjutsu that can always come in hand._

_Looks like the Ninjutsu she likes better until now is the Recall Technique,and her animal's a overgrown tiger,a very funny chatter indeed._

_I'm also making her study some history,languages and medical arts:it can help,you should know better than me._

_Greetings,Yukimichi Tai._

Gai ended the reading,and Neji quickly snatched the precious paper out of his hands,reading it again several times,while Lee tried to comfort his sulking sensei.

Neji was dead worried about the '_serious training' _syntagma:the way he and Tenten had trained all those years,wasn't it serious?


	4. Chapter 4

I do not own Naruto or any of its charachters in anyway

***It Was Snowing***

_Chapter 4_

Days passed by, while fighting .

Weeks passed by,as she improved .

Months passed by too,and they were now almost 10 .

'Other two months,and it will be a year I'm here ' .

It was late night,and after a day of fighting against her old sensei,Tenten was exceedingly exhausted . She was curled up in her futon,under a coarse woollen blanket,and she could see the snowflakes fluttering from the almost black sky through the glass of her window,just above her head . She watched them quietly,as she couldn't sleep .

'Who knows when this all will be going towards an end ',she thought .

Not bitterly,because she kind of liked her new life,with that old sensei that was teaching her so much and that was so like a grandfather to her ; she liked Yukigakure a lot,so magically candid under the snow and so endlessly beautiful in the other seasons too .

She also enjoyed a lot her studies,and Yukimichi really was a great teacher .

That mansion was indeed full of everything...

There was aven a _big_ kitchen,and being the student to all effects,she'd _even _learned to cook a lot better than how she'd done in the past . Ahah .

She shivered at the thought of Konoha,and wondered how the ones there were possibly doing .

'Maybe the Uchiha is back...' . It was possible .

She thought of a lot of people,carefully trying to avoid her team and expecially Neji .

But unfortunately,that night she couldn't restrain her wandering thoughts .

'I'd be curious to see how is he doing with Hachi ' . She smiled as she figured out Neji carefully babysiting the animal: he gave her that idea when she left .

She missed him,a lot .

'Let's try to sleep...'

…

As Hanabi chased the white cat throughout all the Hyuuga mansion in order to _comb and vanilla_-_perfume _it,Neji sulked darky in the big garden .

'When is she going to come back?' : this was the question he asked himself everyday .

Since almost a year had passed by,he rightfully thought that Tenten would be returning soon,a matter of a month or two,maybe even just weeks .

But of course,as he patiently waited and the days still increased their number,not even a letter from the bastard old piece of shit .

He figured out that maybe Tenten didn't have time to write letters,or maybe she wasn't allowed to .

He'd started to overwhelm himself with missions: he was usually no longer in Konoha than 2 days,and in this few days he was home,he trained . Sometimes Naruto asked him to,and he'd relatively gladly accept : Naruto was Naruto, but training with Lee was already boring .

Really he did miss her .

…

"Tsunade-sama,I was wondering when Tenten will be coming back to Konoha..." asked Shizune one day,while she reordered some papers on the Hokage's untidy desk .

"I don't know Shizune,I'm still waiting news from Yukimichi...Why do you ask,anyway?"

"Sakura and Ino asked me that yesterday,plus I noticed that the two green freaks are a little saddened,and Neji is being viciously training with Naruto,not to say that he's evidently depressed,and poor Hinata,she's lost a good friend and-"

"Yes,Shizune,I got the idea "

"And,also,I think that Tenten may be wanting to come back...? I mean,it has been more than a year she's been away, now..."

It was true . When she left,it was the end of the previous November,and now Konoha was going through a unusually not-so-cold February .

Still, sometimes it still snowed above Konoha.

__________

**Sorry,this chapter was so short,but I still have to decide how to continue,even if I got some ideas ... Just got to put them in the best way .**

**Plus I'm thinking of a High School fic (I know,there's plenty of them,but I adore the genre) .**


	5. Chapter 5

I do not own Naruto or any of its charachters in any way

_***It Was Snowing***_

_Chapter 5_

A dim,clouded sun was rising upon a cold dawn .

'The weather isn't any good,today' thought Tenten as she put on her outfit .

She'd changed her usual wearing habits,some months ago already,due to the discomfort they caused her during the training fights with Yukimichi .

Now she used to wear a flared plain sleeveless grey dress that reached her mid-thigh gracefully,

a tight black long-sleeved shirt and black leggins underneath the dress,with black low-heeled sandals; her forehead protector tied loosely at her neck .

She'd also changed her hairstyle: she started to do her hair in an unique bigger bun in the lower back of her head,tied up with a white thin fine ribbon ;the locks on her forehead also had grown longer,so that they were almost like Sakura's .

'Tch,I'm going to cut them way shorter,sooner or later' .

Every morning she took a minute or two to register her changes,although she quite liked her new appearance .

…

Yukimichi was insanely happy when he told to Tenten that she had learned everything he was able to teach her . She managed to master everything he'd showed and explained to her .

Though the old sensei was sad at the thought of her student ,more similar to a grand-daughter,going away to probably never return to see him . All of his previous students had always acted like this; they came,they learned,they disappeared .

The girl stayed silent,not quite believing that she did everything fine,but was smiling sadly none the less to herself: she trusted her sensei,by now,and she knew she had to go back to Konoha as soon as possible;but at the same time,she didn't like the thought of leaving the old man alone on that mountain . In his almost warm and comfortable mansion,of course,but alone .

"So,Tenten,now that we've finished with everything,I'd like to give you a little gift I repared for your birth-day! Isn't it going to be in a few days? March the 9th?" He was smiling his usual quiet smile,speaking with his calm,sometimes pitch,voice .

"But sensei,you didn't have to...I mean,all the things you taught me are more than enough!"

"Ah well,I prepared it and now you're going to accept it,Tenten; no buts"

"Hai..." "Excellent . Here you go"

As he said so,he had already summoned a weapon .

"I thought you would've appreciated this piece . It was the one in my collection that reminded of you the most,in my opinion"

The katana's ebony black sheath was shining to the little light of the living room,and its silvery intertwinings were elegantly covering all the length of the weapon .

She carefully drew out the sword,it was extremely light and shiny .

"O-oh,it's...it's wonderful,sensei..." She was examining wide eyed the weapon .

"Teheh,I bet you would've enjoyed it!" he laughed .

…

_March the 9th ,Yukimichi's mansion ._

"Looks like,Tenten-chan,you finally managed to bake an edible cake!",exclaimed the old man,with a slight smirk playing on his lips while he chewed . A weird combination,smirking and chewing .

"Apparently so" she grinned . 'Really,this one came out perfectly! I'm so proud of myself! *inner squeal*'

For someone,a female expecially,which for all her life (17 years) hasn't been capable of nearly even making a ramen,baking a cake in the right way was an important goal .

"So,Tenten,thank you for your idea of celebrating your birth-day here with me,I really appreciated that,but I thought you were eager to go back to Konoha . That's why I gave you your birthday present earlier"

"I was thinking about leaving tomorrow,sensei"

"Excellent . May I have another slice of that wonderful cake,Tenten-chan?"

_March the 9th ,Hyuuga compound._

'This is way more than exaggerated : I can perfectly understand some months,like 2 or 3,but so much time is totally too much . Ridiculous . Damn him,maybe he's even an old perverted faddy...'

Neji stopped his frantic pacing within his bedroom,thought about what he imagined as last,and then threw himself on his bed dramatically,face pressed in his pillow; 'This cannot be,the shitpiece is over his eighties,I bet he cannot even imagine such things . And I do not even know where they precisely are in the fuckin' Yukigakure! '

He'd been through a fit of hysterics since the previous 3 days : he'd strongly hoped she would've been back for her birth-day .

He'd even spent hours to decide what she could possibly like as a present;

He came to the conclusion that she undoubtedly liked animals,so of course only Hachi wasn't enough!

So he went to Kiba,which suggested him to get her a puppy . Not an ordinary one,but an extremely fluffy and adorable one .

Neji watched as said puppy tried to get Hachi's attention . The cat hadn't developed any motherly instinct,apparently .

'How,just _how,_am I supposed to give her the damn puppy until it is fluffy and adorable,if she's _not here_?!' He sighed . 'Then it won't be fluffy and adorable anymore . '

**I like to imagine Neji with little fluffy pets around . **


	6. Chapter 6

I do not own Naruto or any of its charachters in any way

_***It Was Snowing***_

_Chapter 6_

After she hadn't showed up on the day of her birth-day,Neji voluntarily went on a misison,

in order to distract himself ; he was starting to get nervous .

He knew that probably this year her birth-day wasn't a big deal for her,but he'd hoped anyway that she would've came back .

So he went away,leaving the pets to Hinata and Hanabi;they were always so happy whenever Neji let them be around the animals:he'd became overprotective .

He got a 5 days assignment from Tsunade,and he was going to complete it by himself: he just had to investigate and maybe fight a man suspected of transmitting informations about Konoha to Oto,the Sound Country .

…

On the same airy morning,Tenten had left Yukimichi's mountain .

She knew already she was going to miss her sensei and the simple life in Yukigakure,so she'd promised to herself to go to greet him in some time .

She was prepared for the trip back to Konoha,so she travelled quietly,enjoying the landscapes around her,for 4 days .

In the meanwhile,Neji had completed his (boring) mission,and he was already heading back home . The man was innocent ,in the end .

…

A lucky coincidence wanted them to encounter in one of the first bright sunny mornings of the year in a windy wide field .

As he spotted her ,almost by pure chance , he knew that his prodigy heart was skipping some beats; '_Tenten_' .

He stayed still,being so totally unprepared and excited to see her,in such an unplanned time and place .

When a particularly strong gust of wind drove her locks onto her face,and she snapped out of her stack of thoughts to brush them off,she saw him .

She immediately stopped in her tracks .

She couldn't absolutely believe what,better _who_,she was looking at; '_Neji_...?!'

Of course,who else could open his mouth,close it immediately just like a fish out of water,while staring wide-eyed at someone ?

The human Ice-Cube himself while in a state of utter surprise or shock,apparently .

A sincere smile found its way across her lips as she started to run towards him,about 100 metres away from where she had stayed .

He started to move towards her as well,and in no time she was in his arms,clung to his strong neck,her eyes closed,as he rested his chin on her head .

His eyes softened just as his previous shock-like state was replaced by an enormous relief:

the woman he loved so much was here_ now_,in _his_ embrace,completely _his_ .

He whispered her name in a way he'd _never_ expected to come out from his own lips,so sweet,adoringly,yet so carefully . He didin't have time for shyness right now .

As he spoke,she slowly opened her eyes,those beautiful hazel eyes of hers,and glanced up at him; they gazed for a long moment into each other's eyes,then,slowly,he lowered his head to kiss her .

She'd never hoped openly for this to happen even to herself,she'd always judged fantasies like this as a waste of time,pure daydreaming,but now it seemed so natural,so right,that she was almost expecting it .

A long,sweet kiss . It eventually became more passionate ofter a while,because the both of them had waited for so long that all the words could've waited .

…

The sky was starting to get darker,as they sat under a lonely tree,talking and kissing .

She was sitting against his chest,resting her head on his shoulder,while he held her by the waist . He liked her new appearence,a lot,but he wasn't too happy with her being evidently thinner . He suspected some form of food disease,even .

Tenten on the other hand liked his new outfit ;first,no man-skirt ('Thanks Kami,he stopped wearing that'),and now he wore basically dark colors : dark grey pants,black shirt,boots and grey coat .

"Ten,wasn't really that faggot an old pervert?" He inquired once more . He was still mad about the eventuality of something regarding things like...that .

"I told you,Neji,he was like a grandfather to me,and I was something like a grand-daughter to him . No worries . You should get to know him ." She smiled at him warmly,and his jealousy fit melted away .

She noticed that he was smiling a lot,and this made her endlessly content .

"How are Gai and Lee?" "Why do we have to talk about them ?They're fine,by the way . Freaky as usual",he said in a calm low voice,smirking .

"And Hachi,how's she?" "She's been perfectly,I'd dare to say . Thanks to me" He grinned; 'I need to get used to the Happy Neji . So different...' she thought,and kissed him once more .

"Thank you" she whispered .

"You're welcome . And even if I'm 5 days late,happy birth-day,Ten" He said sweetly,as he kissed her on the cheek,while she giggled .

"We need to go back to Konoha as soon as possible,I've got something for you "

"Oh,Neji,really why did you bother?" "Can't I?" They were both smiling,how cute .

"What is it?" ,she asked curiously . "Not going to tell you",he answered in a fake stern voice . "Mpf..." she joked along . They started to kiss again,as the first stars started to light up the sky .

**_________**

**Phew,that was fluffy to write .**

**I think I messed up a lot with some tenses,but I started to write this at midnight . Brain-crack,almost .**

**Now,I have to decide about ending this story here of going on with it .**

**Theorically they had their sort of happy ending...bha,I don't know .  
**


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